Scale sealing means



Feb. 13, 1951 J. 1 CUNNINGHAM SCALE SEALING MEANS Filed Aug. 13. 1947 my. W Nami ,1m m my ,M W a ,L W m .d 5 i Patented Feb. V13, 1951 CALE" SEALINGT MEANS .;Jaxnes L.- Gunningham,1,Ayg!lSta,-Ga- Applicatiom-AugustjI3, 1947,Serial NCL-*768,420

3. Clai-ms. (014265-727) trance offinoisturefdust,chemical fumes -or other substances tinto "the;area.l occupied zby the lscale 4beams .-;or';levers whereby .said beams `or 'levers are effectively :protected .against ldamage bydust,

lmoistureaor the like.

A further object of the invention?isr:to;:provide a fluid sealed housing or enclosure for the `platiformz of .Scales Vof-.the platform ntype,.;saidvhous ngtorf..eliClQsurehaving-as.azpartthereof an auxiliary; platfromywhich is amounted, upon. and -carredgby-the; regular.: .platform of .the scales, with .a fluid,- seal. i.0r .connection between the auxiliary platform and the 1 housing .which Ipermits :free unrestrictedgmovement ofirthe .auxiliary platform andthe regulargscale platform .but vat the; same time prevents :the entrance of fair, .moisture fumestor lillteciisv into the :area occupiedby f the platform. orfsca1e-levers.

.Stili another @biecctfof :the .invention isi-t0: previderahprotective` housing forfscales; of :the:v platform type-L whereinf; inv-,addition-'to :providing the mechanismenclosing-housingaandauxilaryfplatf ormaconnected .wththe housing.' inthe .manner S-Iaieflmeaps isiprovded for .establishing a: fluid sealzor ...connection between-the pillar fand the pillar ;rods. whereby:the. entrance of moisture, fumes or insects. into-.the part .0f .the housing occupied by` the pivoted levers is effectively 4.prevented.

The invention .willbebest understood from.,fa consideration .of .the following detailed. description taken in -fconnection ,with the; accompanying-,drawingforminga part of the specification, with the understanding, however, .that the invention is notyto. be understood as llimited to lthe exact .details .of construction shown Hand descrbed since. yobvious .modifications will occur to a pers,onsllledv inthe art.

In thedrawing:

VA`Figui-ellis .a viewv in .lperspective of a scale-tof the, platform tyneShQWine-Jtbe applicationthereto .l ofythe A protective structure vconstituti.11g fthe present ,y invention.

.-gFigllre is a vertical longitudinal 'section taken ."SLIbStant-iallyfon; the fline f 2-2 Aof: Figure 1.

fFidure yisi-.a1 detail section taken.: on sani en- .weight Ncarrying beam IIS.

largedf scale through lethe beam vvrodfseal which is enclosedz inithe lscale pillar.

Figure 4 is a detail section throughfa portion ofl the pillarf showing amodied constructionfvof :the'fsealfbetween the-pillar and .the :beam: rod.

vReferring-now more particularly tothe drawing: theffnumeral I 0,1generallyrdesignates the base portion 'for 'frame -of a platform scales, which fra-me has.: atfits front end alforwardly projecting portion I I fr into vv`which extends t' an element III-forming-a part of `the lever mechanism` which is generally -designated -vI3. This levermechanism i I'3 :supports a movable Aplatform I4 l Vupon l whichis-placedematerialr to be weighed 'and-the movement of this platformy operates, through the mec-hanismfl,A aibeam'srod I5 which-is connected at one end with the element I2 and extends-vertically I and jhas operative connection 'with the These-parts /are all standard inwell know-n1typesofwplatfmm scales and-in addition such platform scales includea hollow p'illarr which is -YdesignatedV I l, whichv has fixed V`to itsuppergend an end of/a flat capl beneath whichcthe -beam I6 operates.

"'"While the present invention as `hereinafter specifically describedis--associated in the--present disclosure withra platform type scales itis'to' be understood that the-invention `is not-conned to the `use-of scalesof this' particular. ,typebut mayv 1 where it mayibe found applicable.

`I n accordance with the present invention there is --provide'd'a -boxforyhousingfwhich is generally designated 'I'9. This A housing has lthe Y.bottom wall'20,vertica1side wallsfZI, front end wallA 22 andthe-removable*back-Wall 23. At its'forward end the housing,lv9 includes .a shortlr horizontal topA wa1l'24--in which isiformed-an opening 25. Thisf-hc'rizontal top-wallA 24 extends rearwardly through y nawportion'f-of the length Hof the` housing as, for exampleapproximately -a third ofzthe length of the housing `where it Yjoins the short upright or vertical front wall extension 224. Thel'top edgepf-this front wall extension`22 and' the topV edgesV of `thesicle wallsgrearvvardly-A thereof and theiba'ck-walllie-inl a' higher plane than thewall" 24- so that-thereis vprovided at thefor- Wardend-of the housingl theY relatively low chamber-26.

Thehousing is designed to havevintroduced thereinto ytheplatform frame I0 with the vforward extension II thereof projecting into the low-chamber 126 to a 4position where the beam 3 the opening 25 for connection with the element I2.

The area defined by the top edges of the walls 2I, 22 and 23 provides an upwardly directed opening for the housing I9 and within this area there is secured to the inner sides of the walls the rectangular receptacle 21 which opens upwardly and which has the inwardly and downwardly directed flanges 28 formed integrally with the top edges of the walls thereof. i

The scale platform I4 lies within the area defined by the last mentioned walls but below the level of the receptacle 2l'. Overlying the platform I4 is the auxiliary platform 29 which completely covers the opening in the top of the housing, extending beyond the walls 2 I, 22 and 23 and having the downturned encircling flange 3U which is in spaced relation with these walls.

Suitable supporting blocks 3| are .mounted upon the scale platform I4 and are secured t0 the underside of the auxiliary platform 29 so as to securely join the two platforms for unitary movement.

Formed integral with the underside of the auxiliary 4platform 29 is the downwardly projecting blade 32 which defines a rectangle of the same size as that defined by the trough or receptacle 21 andis adapted to extend down into the receptacle between thedownwardly converging edges of the flanges 28, into the iluid 33 which the receptacle 21 contains. Thus it will be seen that the platforms are free to move up and down in the conventional manner but the seal will be maintained at all times between the auxiliary platform and the adjacent walls of the housing in which the frame Iii and lever mechanism I3 are enclosed. j

In carrying out the present invention the pillar I1 is mounted upon the wall 24 of the housing instead of upon the extension II of the scale frame le as is customary, Accordingly, as is clearly shown in Figures l and 2 the opening 25 in the housing wall 24 communicates directly with the pillar I1 and is positioned in the center thereof so that the beam rod I5 may pass up for connection with the beam I5. Mounted upon the wall 24 within the pillar and secured to the wall in concentric relation with the opening 25 is a short tubular casing 34 thro-ugh which the beam rod I5 passes. The upper end of this tubular casing is formed to provide an annular cup 35 by the provision of the circular or annular wall 38 within the upper end of the tubular casing and in spaced relation with the casing as shown. The top edge of this wall 36 and also the top edge of the tubular casing has the downwardly directed flange 31 corresponding to the flanges 28.

Ther beam rod I5 is preferably formed in two sections which are threaded as indicated at 38 and are joined by the threaded sleeve 39 whereby the length of the beam rod may be adjusted as desired. The sleeve portion 39 extends through a cap 4I] which overlies and encloses the top endof the tubular casing and this cap carries on its underside the `annular flange 4I which extends downwardly into the cup 35 as illustrated. As it will be readily understood this cup 35 is designed to be illled with a suitable fluid so as to form the necessary seal between the adjacent moving parts. l

Figure 4 illustrates a modified construction of the steel between the .beamv rod and the hollow pillar through which it extends. In this constructigri the pillage, designated 4.2A an@ it has .Secured 4 therein the rectangular fluid cup 43 which, ls of the same rectangular outline as the pillar 42 and has the outside wall 44 secured to the adjacent wall of the pillar as shown. The numeral 45 designates the inside wall of the fluid cup and these walls 44 and 45 have the inwardly downwardly extending flanges 46 between which extend, into the cup, the annular flange 41 which forms an integral downwardly extending portion of the plate member 48. As shown this plate member is carried by one of the two sections ot the beam rod which is here designated 35' and these sections of the beam rod are adjustably Yconnected together by the sleeve or collar 49.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the invention herein disclosed provides a positive protection for the moving lever mechanism of the scales in providing the iluid seal between the fixed and movable parts. In addition the construction of this fluid seal is such that the movements of the parts of the scaleswill not cause the iluid in the receptacles to be splashed out and lost. This splashing of the fluid is pre-4 ented by the inwardly and downwardly extending flanges which form a part of each fluid receptacle. l 1

In order that the sealing fluid may be remove from the receptacles 35 and 43 when desired, a. removable drain plug 5D may be provided' as shown in Figure 4. While such a plug is not shown in association with the structure illustrated in Figure 3 it will be readily evident that the same or any other suitable means may be pro-J vided for removing or draining the liquid fr0 the receptacle 35.

I claim: 1

l. Sealing means for a scale having a base, lever mechanism in the base, a platform mounted upon the lever mechanism and a beam rod oper atively coupled with the lever mechanism; com-*- prising a housing adapted to completely enclose the base and platform, said housing having an' open top portion, an auxiliary platform overlying the open top portion of the housing andoperatively coupled with the first platform for movef ment therewith, an open receptacle carried by the housing and extending around the opening of the top thereof beneath the auxiliary platform, said receptacle being designed to contain a fluid, al flange integral with the underside of the auxiliary platform and extending downwardly into thereceptacle throughout the entire lengththereofarrdinto the fluid, a second open top receptacle en? circling the beam rod, encasing means betweenv the second receptacle and the housing and` enf; closing the lower `pari-I of the beam rod, said second receptacle being designed to containk ay fluidi'v an element carried by the beam rod and overly-J ing the open top of the second receptacle, and ,a

flange carried by said element and extendingv downwardly into the open top of the second re' ceptacle, the lastI mentioned flange completely encircling the beam rod. 2. A construction as set forth in claim 1wherev in said receptacles have inwardly and downward#4 ly extending flanges integral with the inner and" outer sides thereof and between which the auxll-"I lary platform and beam rod flanges extend.

' 3. In a scale, a box-like base for housing portions of the scale weighing mechanism and base, the top side of said base having an opening there? in, a fluid holding trough extending along the top edges of the base about said opening, afscale platform disposed over the opening in the bese-l and operatively coupled with the weighng'mechanism therein, said platform having a continuous depending strip along its under side for entry within the trough and of substantially the same outline as said trough forming a fluid seal therewith to prevent the entry of foreign matter within 5 the base.

JAMES L. CUNNINGHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record 1n the w le of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Richards Oct. 27, 1896 Hem July 26, 1926 Ulrich Sept. 20, 1932 Meeker et a1. June 30, 1942 Walter June 30. 1942 

